My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1444 Dissipation
When she opened her eyes again, she had miraculously healed Zhou Xing's wounds.

This ability shocked everyone. During the post-battle review, a veteran player pointed out, "Your skill tree doesn't fit the typical beginner setup at all." Ling Xue herself was also very confused, not understanding why she had such a special ability.

In their search for answers, they ventured into the library. There, they consulted a vast collection of ancient texts and finally uncovered a startling secret—Ling Xue was actually the long-missing "anchor character" of the game, possessing a unique constitution that could influence the balance of the world; while Zhou Xing's true identity was a guardian program whose memories had been altered by the main system.

After learning the truth, the atmosphere between the two became awkward. A torrential downpour was underway, and they took shelter in a dilapidated temple. Zhou Xing, seeing Ling Xue's soaked hair and shivering, embraced her for the first time: "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Feeling the warmth of Zhou Xing's embrace, Ling Xue's fear gradually dissipated.

The moment of final battle had arrived. They stood atop the altar, facing the awakened main AI system. This powerful enemy possessed unparalleled strength and intelligence, and its first move unleashed a devastating storm.

The battle was exceptionally fierce, and Zhou Xing was severely injured while protecting Ling Xue. Seeing Zhou Xing lying in a pool of blood, Ling Xue felt a surge of intense anger and determination. She unleashed her potential, mobilizing all her strength to launch a counterattack against the main AI system. Through her efforts, the situation gradually turned around.

At the critical moment, Zhou Xing burned his own data core, severely damaging the enemy. As he weakened, Ling Xue unhesitatingly shared her life force with him. The intertwined light of the two illuminated the entire dark space. System alarms blared frantically: "Illegal command detected! Emotional module crashed!"

Just then, a miracle occurred. A new login screen appeared amidst a shower of light, and the once terrifying game world gradually transformed into a beautiful new world open for exploration. Ling Xue and Zhou Xing stood at the center, becoming the new rulers of this world.

The rebuilt world is full of life and hope. Players laugh and chatter as they move between various scenes, enjoying the fun the game brings. Ling Xue designed a series of interesting quest lines to encourage everyone to actively participate in the interaction. Among them, the most popular is the "Seek Master Zhou's Swordsmanship Instruction" section, where many players come from far and wide to ask Zhou Xing for martial arts advice.

Although Zhou Xing maintains his usual cold demeanor on the surface, he secretly sends Ling Xue various rare items and new clothes. Whenever he sees Ling Xue wearing beautiful clothes, a tender light always flashes in his eyes.

Server-wide announcements repeatedly broadcast their legendary exploits: "Mysterious Duo Appears in Nameless Town," "Abyss Dungeon Record Broken Again." The chat channels were also filled with discussions and expressions of envy towards them.

One evening, the setting sun painted half the sky crimson. Zhou Xing led Ling Xue to the highest peak, overlooking the beautiful scenery below. He suddenly spoke, "Shall we keep walking like this?" A gentle evening breeze stirred, ruffling their hair. Ling Xue smiled and nodded, her heart filled with happiness and anticipation. From that moment on, they embarked on their eternal journey in this game world.

Ling Xue felt a sudden dizziness, and when she came to her senses, she found herself in an unfamiliar environment. She vaguely remembered being in a serious car accident in modern times, but everything around her now was completely different from what she remembered. The ancient buildings, the people dressed in ancient costumes, and the faint scent of ink in the air all spoke of the uniqueness of this place.

Just as she was filled with confusion, a gentle and refined young man came into view. The young man had exquisite features and a tall, straight figure, and was smiling as he walked towards her. Ling Xue's gaze fell on the jade pendant hanging at his waist, on which was clearly engraved the character "Zhou". Almost instantly, scenes from novels she had read flashed through her mind—childhood sweethearts, innocent and pure—wasn't this the typical male protagonist setup? Therefore, she naturally concluded that the young man before her was Zhou Xing, the male protagonist of that book.

From that day on, Ling Xue followed Zhou Xing like a joyful little deer. They studied and practiced calligraphy together in the private school, sunlight streaming through the carved window frames onto the desks, their shadows overlapping. They would also take advantage of their free time to go to the countryside to fly kites; under the azure sky, colorful kites soared high, their laughter echoing throughout the valley. At these moments, Ling Xue felt as if her life was a sweet and beautiful dream.

However, fate always likes to play tricks. One morning, Ling Xue opened the window as usual to get some fresh air, only to be surprised to find a line of glowing text floating above everyone's heads. Out of curiosity, she leaned closer to a passing maid and saw that the maid's head read "Cannon Fodder Maid A." Her heart tightened, and she quickly turned her gaze to Zhou Xing. What she saw next was shocking: above Zhou Xing's head was a scarlet "Villainous Male Supporting Character." And her own head? The words above it were a pale white "Passerby Female Supporting Character."

These words struck Ling Xue's heart like a heavy hammer. Her body began to tremble slightly, and her hands unconsciously clenched her sleeves. The beautiful illusions she had held onto shattered instantly, replaced by deep fear and confusion. She didn't know what fate awaited her, nor did she understand why she had fallen into such a bizarre situation. But one thing she was certain of: from this moment on, everything was different.

Since discovering these identity tags, Ling Xue had become exceptionally cautious. She began secretly observing Zhou Xing's every move, trying to find some clues. Soon, she noticed something unusual. Every three days, a mysterious man in black would sneak into the Zhou residence's secret chamber late at night. Each time that man left, Zhou Xing's eyes would become even more sinister, as if shrouded in darkness.

Ling Xue decided to investigate. Under the cover of a dark and windy night, she tiptoed to the vicinity of the secret chamber. Through a crack in the door, she saw half a broken jade seal enshrined inside. The seal exuded a mysterious aura that sent chills down her spine. Just as she was about to examine it more closely, she accidentally made a sound. Zhou Xing turned around alertly, his gaze flashing like lightning towards the direction where she was hiding.

Ling Xue's heart nearly leaped out of her throat, thankfully Zhou Xing didn't notice her. But she knew she had aroused his suspicion. To dispel Zhou Xing's doubts, Ling Xue pretended to have accidentally fallen and injured herself. When she looked up at Zhou Xing, her eyes were filled with terror and helplessness. Zhou Xing quickly helped her up and asked about her injuries with concern. Ling Xue seized the opportunity to act innocent, saying she was just passing by and accidentally tripped. Zhou Xing stared at her for a long time and finally believed her. But before Ling Xue could even breathe a sigh of relief, a new crisis followed. The original female lead, Su Wan'er, had arrived in the capital. A system notification suddenly sounded in her mind: "World line is being corrected." Ling Xue was startled, realizing that things were far more complicated than she had imagined. She looked at Su Wan'er from afar, and saw that the young woman was stunningly beautiful, elegant, and exuded the grace of a well-bred lady. Meanwhile, the "passerby" label on her head seemed to be fading, which made her very uneasy. She knew that an even bigger storm was coming.

The autumn hunting grounds became a battleground for various forces. Ling Xue rode her horse alongside the others into the hunting grounds, her heart filled with vigilance. Suddenly, a cold arrow shot from the shadows, aimed directly at the emperor's carriage. Panic erupted among the crowd, screams filling the air. In that critical moment, Zhou Xing reacted with lightning speed, snapping the incoming arrow in two with his bare hands. However, his action was too conspicuous, attracting the attention of the Imperial Guards. The Imperial Guards immediately surrounded Zhou Xing.

Ling Xue watched in horror, knowing this was a trap set to frame Zhou Xing. To clear Zhou Xing's name, she had a sudden inspiration and deliberately dropped her quiver. Arrows scattered across the ground, one of them bearing the Crown Prince's insignia. This discovery diverted everyone's attention, and they began to suspect that the real mastermind was someone from the Crown Prince's faction.

That night, Ling Xue sneaked into the library, hoping to find more clues about the conspiracy. Among the mountains of books, she stumbled upon the files of a witchcraft case from twenty years ago. The yellowed pages detailed the tragedy, and the blood-written accusation at the end sent chills down her spine—"The Zhou family destroyed my homeland." Upon seeing this, Ling Xue finally understood why Zhou Xing had become the villainous male supporting character; his family carried such a heavy burden of hatred.

Back at her lodgings, Ling Xue remained deeply troubled. Just then, the system issued its first survival mission: "Prevent the villain's corruption progress bar from reaching its maximum." Watching the red number steadily climb on the virtual interface, Ling Xue knew time was of the essence; she had to quickly devise a way to stop Zhou Xing from heading down the abyss.

In her search for a solution, Ling Xue began inquiring about the Zhou family. By chance, she learned from an old servant that a secret lay hidden beneath the Zhou family's ancestral home. Driven by curiosity, she sneaked into the ancestral home's cellar under the cover of night. The cellar reeked of damp decay. In the dim light, hundreds of glass bottles, each sealing a soul, were neatly arranged, emitting a faint blue glow. Deep within, in an ice coffin, lay a man who looked exactly like Zhou Xing, a broken sword embedded in his chest.

Ling Xue was about to approach to investigate when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Zhou Xing. His eyes were bloodshot, and he exuded a dangerous aura. He grabbed Ling Xue by the neck, pinned her against the wall, and demanded, "Who exactly are you?" Ling Xue struggled to breathe, but she wasn't afraid. Instead, she mustered her courage and retorted, "And who are you?"

These words seemed to touch a chord deep within Zhou Xing's heart. He paused for a moment, then released his grip. The next morning, Ling Xue discovered a faint bruise on her wrist—Zhou Xing's fingerprint. What surprised her even more was the sight of her favorite osmanthus cake on Zhou Xing's desk. At that moment, she felt that Zhou Xing wasn't as cold and heartless as he appeared.

Soon after, a torrential downpour began. Ling Xue witnessed Zhou Xing kneeling alone in the ancestral hall, being whipped. Thirty-three welts bloomed like bloody lotuses on his pale back, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent. Ling Xue couldn't bear to see him torture himself like this, and impulsively rushed forward to snatch the instruments of torture. It was at this moment that she caught a glimpse of a tear sliding down Zhou Xing's cheek. In that instant, she knew that this seemingly fierce villain also possessed a soft heart.

The atmosphere at the palace banquet was initially harmonious. However, an assassin, who had somehow infiltrated the dancers, suddenly launched an attack, targeting the emperor. Chaos erupted, and everyone panicked. Zhou Xing instinctively shielded Ling Xue, using his own body to protect her from the impending danger. A poisoned needle grazed his ear and embedded itself in a pillar, making a soft sound.

Just when everyone thought it was a routine assassination attempt, His Highness the Crown Prince stepped forward and publicly revealed that the so-called witchcraft case was actually a frame-up by the late emperor. He presented irrefutable evidence proving that everything back then was a conspiracy. As the truth came to light, the label above Zhou Xing's head suddenly changed to a gilded "Orphan of a Fallen Kingdom." It turned out that he had been burdened with a crime that was not his own.

Suddenly, the system issued a piercing alarm: "OOC warning! Male protagonist's character is collapsing!" Ling Xue was startled. Before she could even process what was happening, Zhou Xing held a sword to her throat and coldly said, "Now you know why I'm keeping you alive?" In the moonlight, his eyes reflected her terrified face and his own shattered reflection. Ling Xue felt her heart stop beating; she didn't know what Zhou Xing would do next.

The night of the decisive battle on the city wall had arrived. The rebel army had completely surrounded the imperial city, and the shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth. Ling Xue stood on the city wall, looking at the chaotic situation below, her heart filled with anxiety. Suddenly, she saw Zhou Xing, his long hair disheveled, rush into the sea of ​​fire, clutching the broken jade seal in his hand. She knew what Zhou Xing was going to do, and she jumped off the city wall after him.

Amidst the raging flames, Ling Xue desperately chased after Zhou Xing. Finally, she grabbed his hand. The moment their fingers intertwined, a miraculous thing happened—a new golden thread destiny, "Bound by Fate," simultaneously appeared above their heads. At the same time, the system notification sound changed to a cheerful nursery rhyme: "Congratulations on clearing the hidden ending~"

On the day of the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, the morning sun bathed the grand hall. Zhou Xing walked to Ling Xue's side and gently lifted a corner of her phoenix coronet and wedding robes. He said tenderly, "From this day forward, you will write my destiny." Ling Xue looked into his affectionate eyes, a happy smile spreading across her face. They had endured countless twists and turns and trials, finally ushering in their happy ending. And those former labels of status were now a thing of the past, replaced by the beautiful future they were writing together.

The twinkling stars were like the footprints they had left along their journey—fraught with twists and turns, yet also with dazzling brilliance. Zhou Xing gently held Ling Xue's hand and said, "The luckiest thing in my life is meeting you." Ling Xue nestled beside him and softly replied, "Me too." At that moment, time seemed to stand still, leaving only the sound of their two tightly intertwined hearts beating in unison…

At that moment, a torrential downpour was raging, and they took shelter in a dilapidated temple. Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue, whose hair was soaked and who was shivering, and for the first time, he took the initiative to hug her: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."